


Spaced

by curi_o



Series: Pain for Jayne [18]
Category: Firefly
Genre: Content: Angst, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2006-08-28
Updated: 2006-08-28
Packaged: 2017-11-09 01:54:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 231
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/449959
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/curi_o/pseuds/curi_o
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Without his hands to care for her, Vera’d gather dust.  Would River?</p>
            </blockquote>





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**Author's Note:**

> Prompt: Dust

* * *

As he pressed himself against the door separating the airlock from the rest of the boat, Jayne squeezed his eyes closed in terror.

The patterns against his eyelids resolved into the images that had brought him to this, his impending death. 

There was River, mid-stride in her flight from his bunk half an hour before. Her hair was all over chaos, her face contorted with pain and sobbing. 

There was Mal, face frozen in fury, glaring at Jayne as the big man emerged into the hallway outside his bunk, intending to chase after River. 

There was Inara, her eyes spitting fiery darts at him as she closed the door to her shuttle, where the upset young woman had sought quiet and refuge.

Then there was the bay, where Jayne slumped against their cargo, trying to explain to Inara, who crossed her arms in front of her body. Her eyes had just gone wide, looking behind him to the person he supposed would be the captain, his swing of the heavy wrench about to halt the picture.

And then there was the airlock, the door to the deadly black not yet open.

He wondered why River hadn’t saved him and remembered that she hadn’t been able to save Wash, either.

Without his hands to care for her, Vera’d gather dust. Would River?

Jayne forced his eyes to open and face the future.


End file.
